Resetting Lady

Raymond entered the palace. As he approached the gate, the captain of the royal guard recognized him.

“Sir Raymond, it’s been a while.”

“Yes. It looks like you’re busy with the banquet.”

“Indeed, sir. Are you attending?”

“Hmm, I have a brief matter to discuss with His Highness, Prince Lewis.”

“I understand. Please, go right in.”

“Thank you. You seem busy, so there’s no need to escort me.”

“Oh, thank you, sir. I’ll take my leave then.”

Inside the palace, countless servants were moving about constantly, but slipping past them unnoticed was not difficult for him. A few maids recognized him as he passed through the halls, but they quickly turned their attention back to their duties.

As Raymond had frequently visited the palace as the prince’s shooting instructor, no one paid any attention when he headed towards the quarters of Prince Loius and Crown Prince Gueuze, rather than the central palace where the banquet was being held. The crown prince often sought Raymond out.

Crown Prince Gueuze was not much of a father, and the other instructors were quite old, so Prince Lewis often wished to treat Raymond more like a cherished vassal or an older brother than a teacher.

During a lesson, while handling a gun, Prince Lewis had asked Raymond,

“Will I find such things amusing when I get older?”

Raymond, trying to ignore the music coming from the palace, replied to the prince,

“I myself don’t find it particularly enjoyable.”

Prince Lewis was a different kind of person compared to Crown Prince Gueuze. Perhaps it was because he was still young, but he resembled his grandfather and the elder statesmen who served as his mentors, like his godfather, Marquis Penceir, more than he did Crown Prince Gueuze. Perhaps that was why Crown Prince Gueuze despised Prince Lewis so much.

Banquets were frequently held in the palace. Crown Prince Gueuze only attended when he felt like it, and when he did, the atmosphere often turned into a decadent party. There would be loud arguments, high-stakes gambling, and eventually, women disguised as maids would be brought in from outside the palace.

The old king no longer had the energy to interfere with the debauchery that Crown Prince Gueuze conducted within the very walls of the royal palace.

‘He will definitely attend today.’

Raymond remembered the countless times when Crown Prince Gueuze had attended. If that was the case, he would attend this time as well.

The dark basement that Isella had mentioned—the room filled with hanging corpses—was certainly connected to Crown Prince Gueuze’s quarters. Carynne would be there. She had to be there. Still alive.

Zion had mentioned the possibility that she was already dead, but that was not something Raymond was willing to consider right now.

If Carynne were dead, Raymond would quickly follow her by taking his own life. She would want that too. Raymond was now weary of living in a world without her. He had gathered all the information he needed.

Now, he had to proceed on the assumption that Carynne was still alive.

As Raymond walked, whenever he was out of sight, he discreetly placed small bombs in the corridors or gardens. They were set to explode automatically after a certain time.

The noise they would make was loud enough to distract people, and some were designed to explode like fireworks. If a small fire broke out, it would be even better.

Since there was no official announcement on Carynne’s kidnapping, if he could rescue her and hide her within his own household, Crown Prince Gueuze would no longer be able to touch her. Raymond resolved to hide Carynne even more deeply than before.

I told you so.

In this life, Carynne had been too ambitious. She wanted to escape to the outside world. The moment she realized that the place she had been living in was not a novel, she made great efforts once more. But those efforts had not borne fruit.

As expected, the world was too harsh, too terrifying, and too brutal for Carynne to survive. Let’s return to the mansion again. He would keep Carynne in her room, whisper words of love to her in bed, and that would be enough.

Would she be unhappy with that?

No. There’s no way that would happen. Carynne would love him. After all, she had no one else but him. They would spend a year together like that, and then another year.

They would live together for decades, centuries, millennia, and that would be their happy ending.

An eternal life like that would be more than enough.

Even if something unprecedented occurred, like Isella helping Carynne or the miracle of Verdic rescuing Carynne, they were ultimately outsiders, and what mattered most was just the two of them. They needed more time together. The world was all too tiresome.

“…No one’s here.”

Raymond stood in front of the crown prince’s door. So far, he hadn’t encountered anyone. There were too few people around.

As he passed by, Raymond stepped out onto the terrace to check if a signal from Zion had arrived, but there was nothing.

Had Crown Prince Gueuze not yet arrived at the banquet?

‘I must wait.’

The old him would have done so.

He couldn’t afford to be uncertain. To maximize the chances of success, he needed to be patient. Beyond that door, Crown Prince Gueuze could still be there with his men. Escaping from the palace might become impossible.

Raymond knew he should wait until he could confirm the crown prince’s location.

“……”

However.

He couldn’t bear it.

The thought that Carynne might be beyond that door made the patience he had maintained until now vanish without a trace.

Two days had already passed. Even in just five minutes, a skilled butcher could end a life. Beating someone’s body thoroughly wouldn’t be difficult. Raymond hoped that Carynne had acted wisely and survived. But he had failed to wait wisely.

Creak.

Raymond put his pistol inside his coat. There was still time before the first bomb was set to go off. In that case, it was better to use a blade. Raymond pulled out a medium-length dagger from inside his coat.

‘If anyone sees me, I’d be executed on the spot.’

“……”

There was no one in Crown Prince Gueuze’s room. But the room was slightly disordered. He had left. Had he gone to the banquet? If so, now was the chance.

Raymond knelt on the floor and lifted the carpet. And there it was, just like before, the entrance to the passage.

This time, it wasn’t locked. It was simply closed. Raymond lifted the door and entered.

“Carynne.”

Raymond took a deep breath and stepped inside.

Even though Zion hadn’t sent any signal from the window, he could no longer wait.

Raymond double-checked the positions of his gun and dagger. He had reached his limit. He was tired of being apart from Carynne, and he didn’t want to see her suffer any longer.

Even if it meant killing everyone he encountered on the way out, he would do it.

That was better than waiting.

* * *

Isella moved in step with Zion. Tension filled the air. As the court musicians played a bright waltz, a few couples danced slowly, but it was a dance meant to liven up the mood within their own groups, not one intended for mingling with others.

Zion spoke to Isella, who looked uncomfortable.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

It was still early, and the atmosphere wasn’t too bad. Zion slowly moved with Isella, scanning the surroundings. Although it was held at the palace, this was just a regular banquet, not one for the New Year or a festival.

The mood of this gathering was predictable. Just a wasteful, indulgent affair. A decadent, tedious event. Zion was willing to attend such parties, but since his primary interest was in older noblewomen, this wasn’t a particularly appealing banquet.

This was a gathering mainly for men who enjoyed debauchery. In a few hours, even the few women present would likely have all left. Leaving Isella here didn’t sit well with him. But right now, what mattered wasn’t Isella’s or his own enjoyment.

***

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